Just Like a Man
by escritoireazul
Summary: I never knew the difference between bullshit and sincere, as long as it sounded good while coming out.


Title: Just Like a Man  
>Author: escritoireazul<br>Characters/Pairings: Lauren Zizes/Noah Puckerman, Lauren Zizes, Quinn Fabray, Artie Abrams, Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson  
>Rating: 13+<br>Written for: This prompt for glee_fluff_meme: (summarized, the prompt is kinda long) Puck makes up for his last serenade with something sweeter, Butch Walker's "Promise," and no one else in glee thinks it's a good idea.  
>Author's Notes: This is a transformative work of fiction for the television series Glee. Set sometime after "Silly Love Songs." Title and summary from "Promise." A couple of my pet friendship theories from the LaurenPuck wip are in here. Writing the text speak damn near made me choke.

Summary: I never knew the difference between bullshit and sincere, as long as it sounded good while coming out.

Instead of chilling with pizza and sci-fi movies or video games like they normally do when they hang out, Puck heads straight to Artie's laptop.

"What's up?" Artie asks and angles himself until he can see what Puck's doing.

"Dude, I need music."

What? Artie tilts his head. "You've got a shitload of music."

"Yeah, my music's awesome, but none of it's _right_."

Oh, hell. Artie can guess where this is going, but he has to ask anyway. "Right for what?"

"I'm gonna sing to Lauren again."

"Bad idea." Artie slaps the laptop closed. "Bad, bad idea. Think about what happened last time."

"That's why I need to do it. I've gotta get it right this time."

Shit. Artie sighs. "Fine. Show me what you're considering."

Puck opens the laptop again and Artie rubs his face. It's gonna be a long night.

#

"Aww hell no," Mercedes greets him the second he walks into the choir room. "Why are you always on the train to Doing-It-Wrong Town?"

Puck smirks. "Want a ride, Jones?"

She rolls her eyes. "Sit your ass down, Puckerman. We don't have much time."

"Time for what?"

"To pick a song for you before Lauren gets here. I'm guessing you plan on keeping this one a secret from her too." She frowns at him. "For the record, I think this is a horrible idea."

"So why do you want to talk music?" He stops. "How do you even know?"

"Artie told Tina who told me."

Puck blows out a sharp breath of air. "What the hell did you talk about when I was in juvie?" He shakes his head. "But I'm desperate, Jones. Artie came up with shit to help, and this has to be perfect."

"Perfect? My advice: don't do it." Mercedes leans in close. "But you're going to anyway because you don't listen, so let's talk songs."

They're still muttering to each other when Lauren walks in, but she doesn't bat an eye.

#

Rachel corners him at his locker after school. "Noah, I understand you are intimidated by my talent and my vast knowledge, but you should really come to me first when faced with a musical dilemma."

Puck slams his locker. "Do I even want to know how you found out?"

"Mercedes, of course," she says, and then her face twists. She actually looks a little hurt. "And Tina. And Mike. And Artie. Everyone seems to know before me." Before he can say anything, not that he really has anything to say to that - _Berry, you're intense and a little scary,_no one_wants to come to you first_ doesn't seem like the best thing to say when she's offering help he actually needs - she gives herself a little shake and that bright smile is back. "Nevertheless, I believe I have exactly the sort of song you are looking for."

"I don't sing Broadway," Puck reminds her and her smile fades.

"But Noah, the sheer emotion and power of Broadway will go far in helping you redeem yourself." She gives him a pointed look. "And you do need to redeem yourself through the power of song."

"I'm not singing 'The Power of Love' either."

She's kinda sexy when she pouts like that.

#

"Dude," Finn says and claps him on the shoulder, "just say no."

#

He gets the texts from Kurt after dinner.

First: _Check your email. Sent u youtube links._

Second: _Ignore Finn._

Third: _Ignore Mercedes._

Fourth: _Ignore Tina._ Puck frowns at that one. If anyone, Tina should support a romantic gesture like this. Plus he hasn't even talked to her about it, damn it.

Fifth: _Missed an epic fail, didn't I? No 1 thinks this is a good idea._

Sixth: _Sent u more songs. Listen 2 them, don't just delete._

Puck sent one: _Damn, does every1 no?_

Seventh: _Y. Whatever u do, do not listen 2 Rachel. u can't do Broadway._ For a second, Puck's going to do a Broadway song just to prove he can do anything, but then he remembers that Kurt's right.

Eighth: _Blaine sent some 2._

Puck smacks his forehead against the table a couple times - now _two_ glee clubs are talking about this and he still doesn't have a song - before heading over to Artie's to borrow his laptop.

#

Huh. Some of those songs aren't too bad.

#

Puck's doing that thing with his guitar again. No, not _that_ thing - Lauren won't admit to him how hot it is when he grinds against it like that - but the thing where he swings it behind his back so it's out of his way. (That's pretty hot too, come to think of it. She viciously squelches those thoughts, because he struts up to where she's sitting on the top riser and leans in close.)

"Got a song for you, babe." He's smirking, but there's something else to his expression, too, and she can practically see the hearts in his eyes. Oh, god, what the hell has he gone and done now?

She crosses her arms over her chest and glares at him. "I hear 'I like big butts' come out of your mouth and I'm breaking your balls." He just grins bigger at that, blows her a kiss, and heads to the front of the room as the last of the glee club members wander in.

Quinn eyes Puck and heads straight up to sit next to Lauren. "He's really doing what I think he's doing, isn't he?" Lauren nods, and Quinn huffs. "What's he singing this time, 'Baby Got Back?'"

Lauren snorts. "Exactly what I said. He'll be in a world of hurt if we're right." Quinn laughs and holds up her hand for a fist bump.

"_Jesus_," Santana mutters and flops onto the chair next to Brittany, "here we go again. Another serenade of elephantine proportions."

"Don't make me kick your ass all the way back to Lima Heights," Lauren warns. "And your girlfriend thinks I'm hot."

"She's not-" Santana cuts herself off and turns her glare on Brittany. "What?"

"Her breasts are sexy," Brittany says. She rumples up her hair.

"It's a freaking epidemic around here," Santana slumps in her chair and pouts. Brittany cuddles close to her, tickling the back of her neck and whispering something that makes Santana smile.

Mr. Schue claps to quiet them down, like they're in freaking kindergarten or something. "Okay, guys, Puck's asked to do a song for us today." He eyes Puck a little warily. "So ... let's give him our attention." He's shaking his head _no_ even as he says it.

Berry nudges Tina, who lets go of Mike long enough to point at Artie. "He's got it," she says and Berry bounds over to collect a small digital video camera from him.

"Thanks, Artie," she chirps. "I'm under strict orders from Kurt to make sure I record this so he can see it."

"Oh hell," Lauren mutters.

Quinn leans in close. "Can I help you kick his ass?" she whispers and bounces a little when Lauren nods.

Puck swings the guitar back around and perches on a stool at the front of the room. He opens his mouth like he's going to give a speech and Lauren braces herself for whatever ridiculous thing is about to come pouring out. Instead he curls forward a little over the guitar and launches straight into the song.

It starts quiet, just soft notes on his acoustic guitar. Lauren doesn't recognize it, but Berry makes this high-pitched noise, then promptly stares horrified at the camera and slaps her hand over her mouth. She keeps stealing little glances at Lauren as if she's trying to gauge her reaction, even when Lauren glares at her.

Puck doesn't look at her once, just keeps his eyes down and his attention on his guitar. That is weird enough on its own, all that cockiness of a moment before faded away, and then he starts to sing, quiet and sweet and oh so gentle.

It's fine, nothing special, but he sure sounds good. And then there's the chorus.

_But I promise I can love you  
>Just like a man<br>And I promise I can hold you  
>Like nobody can<em>

There's a ripple of laughter at the end of the first stanza, but when Puck hits the chorus, Lauren goes so tense she stops hearing everyone else. They would fade completely, but Quinn reaches over and grabs her hand, giving her something to squeeze so tight. She struggles to keep her face blank, because she knows they must be watching her, and there's only two people in glee she's close enough to let have her emotions. She just hopes none of them notice just how hard she's holding Quinn's hand.

Her cheeks heat, but god, he got this one right.

_I never knew the difference between bullshit and sincere  
>As long as it sounded good<br>While coming out_

The lyrics are sometimes ridiculous and sometimes sappy, but kinda it's perfect, the mix of saccharine sweet and hilariously inappropriate for a love song. That's Puckerman all over, and despite herself, she's been falling for him specifically because he's that mix of cocky and adoring. Quinn squeezes her hand in pulses, giving her something to focus on to distract her from the way her chest is painfully tight and how hard it is to breathe.

He ends the song the way he began it, all soft chords trailing off into the echo of sound and then nothing at all. Still he keeps his eyes down and doesn't look at her, and she's only ever seen him like this in private, shy and almost submissive.

"That was ... very nice," Mr. Schue says and everyone claps. She knows they're watching her still, but for a second she can't move, even with Quinn right there being her buffer. Puck puts away his guitar and grabs a seat near Finn and that, it seems, is that.

Later, after they're done and everyone but Quinn and Lauren has left, Puck finally, finally looks at her. The corner of her mouth turns up a little. He makes his way up the risers, taking his time until he stands in front of her, his hands shoved into his pockets.

Quinn squeezes Lauren's shoulder, nods at Puck, and leaves.

Puck takes a deep breath, but before he can say whatever's on his mind and probably make this even more awkward than it already is, she stands, hooks her fingers in his belt, and pulls him forward so she can kiss him, her mouth soft against his. He sighs into the kiss and cups his hands around her face; she can feel the tension run out of his body and she smiles against his lips before she deepens the kiss.


End file.
